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Snow, Glorious Snow!?

Posted by: Blog Administrator on Jan 29, 2010

Tagged in: Yatesbury , winters , Winterbourne Monkton , Wiltshire. Herbert Spackham , weather , wagonnette , valley , trunks , tree roots , train , tornado , three feet deep , thaw , snowy winter , snowing , snowfalls , snowfall , snowdrifts , Slade’s Mill , skating , Shrewton , severe snowstorm , school , Salisbury Plain , roads , River Till , River Thames , riding , reveal , relief fund , Quemerford Villa , pond , poems , north Wiltshire , Mr Tanner , melt waters , Market Lavington , March 1891 , mail , Maiden Bradley , Lydiard Millicent , lost , log book , lives , letters , Landford , Lacock , kitchen garden , Kington Langley , July , January 25th , January 20th , January 1881 , January 11th , impassable , icicles , hunt , houses , homeless , History Centre , hedge , hailstones , Great Storm , Great Somerford , frozen , frost fairs , Ferne House , February , farm , Duke of Beaufort , drifted , downhill , Donhead St. Mary , Donhead St. Mary , Disruption , diaries , December 30th , dance , daily papers , cut glass , cow , cottages , Corsham. , Christmas , Chippenham , Cherhill Mill , Charlote Grove , cattle , cart horse , Calne , Burbage , Bristol Post , Bremhill , Bowood Park , Berwick Bassett , Belcher , 1908 , 1888 , 1881 , 1814 , 1813/14

After all the disruption caused by the recent snowfalls, here at the History Centre we were interested to find out how often similar events occurred in our County in the past.

 

We’ve all heard about the terrible winters of 1813/14 when the River Thames froze and frost fairs were held. Charlote Grove lived at Ferne House, in Donhead St. Mary, and began writing diaries at the age of 18. Her entry for January 11th, 1814 states ‘It snowed very hard. Charles contrived to walk down to Mrs Cooke’s. January 20th - ‘A very deep snow. The mail prevented from coming’. January 25th – ‘I walked with my father to the sheep fold. The icicles on the hedge look like the most beautiful cut glass’.
Men digging out a locomotive stuck near Newton Tony, 1927
Men digging out a locomotive stuck near Newton Tony, 1927
To find out about other snowy winters of the 19th century, please 'read more'.






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A Wiltshire Christmas Past

Posted by: Blog Administrator on Dec 18, 2009

Tagged in: ‘Wassail’ Harvey , www.wiltshire.gov.uk/community/folk_play_search.ph , with Christmas carols , Wiltshire Community History , Wiltshire , We Wish You a Merry Christmas , wassailing , wassail bowl , villagers , verses , Thomas Ernle , The Britford First Carol , Tha Girt Big Figgetty Pooden , stories , spiced ale , songs , skating , seasonal decorations , school , Sarum Missal , sang , Salisbury Cathedral , rural Wiltshire , Rector , Rector , punch , poems , poems , plays , performed , New Year , mumming , mummers’plays , Monkton Park Community Primary School , minor gentry , Medieval , Limpley Stoke , late night parties , John Chandler , John Britton , John Aubrey , History Centre , heathenish custom , games , Francis Kilvert , folk tradition , Folk Arts , fertility ceremony , Felicity Gilmour , farm labourer , Everley , Evening Prayer , Edward Slow , dialect , dancing , crops , Cricklade , clergy , church , Christmas masses , Christmas Festivities , Christmas Eve , Christmas Day , Christmas , Chris Wildridge , celebrations , butcher’s meat , Britford , boy bishop , Boar’s Head , animals , Alfred Williams , Ales , A.G. Street , A. Lemoine , A Wiltshire Christmas , .Civil War

We have just been entertained by the children of our local school, Monkton Park Community Primary School, with Christmas carols and songs for History Centre staff and users. They ended with We Wish You a Merry Christmas and we would like to wish all of you a Merry Christmas and a Peaceful New Year. That set me thinking about earlier Christmas times in our county.


            Adverts in Wiltshire Newpapers, 1909
Adverts in Wiltshire Newpapers, 1909

For glimpses of Christmases past in Wiltshire you need to look in the writings of Francis Kilvert, Alfred Williams and A.G. Street. In Kilvert you will find the entertainments and activities of the clergy and minor gentry – dancing and games, late night parties, skating, and seasonal decorations in the church. Williams presents us with a view of the farm labourer’s Christmas while Street provides a mixture of famers’ and farm workers’ celebrations. To find out more please 'read more'...




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